NFU has much to offer agriculture
In Kevin Hursh’s yearly attack on the National Farmers Union in his Nov. 30 column, he does get one thing right: it can be difficult for urban journalists to fully grasp the complex linkages between farm practices, agricultural economics, international trade and government policy.
Their coverage sometimes inadvertently omits key points. That said, most Canadians — our customers, neighbours and people who care about agriculture — are non-farmers. We are happy to share our perspectives when reporters from non-farm media outlets call.
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Hursh’s negative reaction to the broader media’s attention to the NFU suggests he is attacking a bogey-man that lives rent-free in his head, as he is clearly not familiar with what we have actually been doing.
A quick check of Hansard from a few months ago will show that the NFU supported an amended bill that carves out a carbon-levy exemption for grain drying.
Our recent national convention, a hybrid event, had members and guests participating in Saskatoon and online from all over the world. We elected Jenn Pfenning as our new NFU president, who brings her experience as a family owner and operator of a 700-acre, multi-generational vegetable farm and distribution business to our leadership.
And we passed policy resolutions calling for independent testing of the myriad biological agents now being sold to farmers, approving a new commercial benefits plan for members and calling for yearly seed guides to list only varieties that provide all required test data, just to name a few.
By involvement in initiatives like these, NFU members will be able to tell their children and grandchildren we did everything in our power to sustain a liveable and diverse planet through to the next century. Will Kevin be able to do the same?
Many Canadian farmers and non-farmers alike are hungry for the kind of leadership the NFU provides. Instead of buying Kevin Hursh’s sour grapes, I would urge you to check out our website for the latest information about what the NFU really stands for.
Stewart Wells,
NFU vice-president (policy)
Swift Current, Sask.
Don’t let Saskatchewan be medicare’s death bed
Health care in both Saskatchewan and across Canada is in crisis. Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe and other premiers point the finger at prime minister Justin Trudeau for lack of funding. The fact is that health care is paid for from tax dollars, and those tax dollars come from the people.
After 15 years of cutting, lean-meaning, privatizing and blaming, the Sask Party government needs to take responsibility. Health care falls under provincial jurisdiction.
Privatization is not the solution. The U.S. has a largely private health care system that is the most expensive in the developed world but delivers the poorest result. Do we really want to follow that example?
There is no doubt that the Canadian system needs to be revamped to become more efficient. But in the end, if health care needs more money, this government needs to find it.
Saskatchewan is the birthplace of medicare. Let’s not let it be its death bed, too.
Darrel Cunningham,
Lintlaw, Sask.
